We took delivery of our Leaf in February 2011, and over the next
two-plus years recorded more than 16,000 trouble free miles.

The Big Jump

But with the consistently positive reviews of the upscale Tesla
Model S, this year we decided to make the big jump to that car.
Our home delivery and first drive came on July 9 of this year.

We now have about 5,000 miles on our Model S, and it recharges
each night in our home garage using a Coulomb Level 2 charger
that was first installed for our Volt. We now recharge the Volt
on 110-Volt power each night.

So our previous combination of the Leaf and Volt has now become a
combination of the Model S and the Volt.

2011 Leaf: Learning Experience

The Leaf was a solid first effort, but the 2011 models
were--sadly--something of a learning experience both for Nissan
and for early-adopter buyers.

Our Leaf (VIN 000320) performed, and continues to perform, very
well as a basic commuter car. Casual mentions and early
advertising that mentioned a range of "100 miles" aside, the
range was always more realistically right around the 73-mile EPA
rating.

And the range projection display came to be referred to as a
"guess-o-meter" by many 2011 Leaf drivers. Even after several
software upgrades with supposedly better algorithms, the Leaf
typically lost 6 to 8 miles of projected range during its first 2
to 4 miles every day.

Performance of the Leaf in stop-and-go driving was excellent, and
the air conditioning was very effective.

Negatives: Heating And Range

But the 2011 Leaf did not offer either heated seats or a heated
steering wheel, and running its heater in colder areas has a
major negative impact, cutting actual driving range by as much as
20 percent.

The Leaf was adequate for merging at freeway speeds, and in many
respects, its biggest plus for us was that it could transport
five people. It was our "go-to" car for group dinner outings, as
its back seat was far more roomy that the one in our Volt.

Our Leaf had the Pearl White exterior, so it was also the car of
choice when parking outside during hot Sacramento Valley summers.

But the big negatives with the Leaf were the poor winter heating
and lack of heated seats, along with an electric range that is
minimally realistic for our needs. The Leaf was clearly a "second
car with specific limits" on its use.

Virtually No Limits

With the arrival of our Tesla electric luxury sedan, we now have
an emission-free car with virtually no limits on its use.

We are seeing a realistic range on a full charge of 272 miles,
and regular charge projection of around 242 miles--and these
projections are actually consistent with our driving! Three miles
into a drive, the Model S has lost 3 miles of range.

The only negative so far is is having to get used to how big the
Model S really is. It's longer and, especially, wider than
anything we have owned before, and it rides like the big vehicle
that it is.

Momentum Counts

Switching from our Chevy Volt to the Tesla Model S highlights how
much the Model S wants to continue straight ahead, versus the
Volt's quicker response to steering input on sharp corners.

The Model S is much bigger and heavier than the Leaf, too, but it
pays back occupants with more interior space, especially in the
back seat, as well as a much more comfortable experience during
freeway driving.

The heated seats and air conditioning work superbly, and the
access to freeway "Supercharger" quick-charging stations make it
possible for us to plan future road trips with this car.

Joyful Play Behind The Wheel

Even more, especially in contrast to the Leaf, almost every drive
in the Model S includes moments of fun. The regenerative braking
is strong enough that the brake pedal isn't needed except in rare
circumstances, and the acceleration away from a stop is simply
joyful play.

We also appreciate Slacker Radio--we're in the process of
creating our own themed radio stations--and the verbal commands
for the audio system and the GPS navigation actually work!

When we got our Leaf in 2011, the GPS maps Nissan provided were
at least five years old--and the company never provided any
updates. Almost three years later, our West Sacramento home
is still not on the maps in the Leaf--and this
neighborhood is about to celebrate its 10th birthday.

Leaf: Invisible

During our early Leaf ownership in 2011, I regularly parked it in
high-traffic locations and sat back to watch how others noticed
or reacted to it. The Leaf appeared to be invisible to passersby;
it was just "another white hatchback."

During those same early days, people stopped and noticed the
Volt--and even got out their cell phones for cameras to take
pictures!

But the Model S is the "rock star" of cars, it would seem. It has
become normal for us to have people ask questions about the car,
want to look inside, take pictures of it, or simply give us a
thumbs-up on the freeway. Many have commented that it's "the most
beautiful car I've ever seen."

Puzzling Omissions

There are, of course, some niggles in the Model S design that many
owners have noticed and commented on. Those include the cheapest,
smallest, and flimsiest sun visors ever fitted to a car, no real
center-console storage, and--absurdly--no cup holders for
back-seat riders.

However, after the first stop sign or traffic light during any
drive, or total domination of of any freeway on-ramp, these
simply melt away and become niggles forgotten.

In the end, the Nissan Leaf is a wonderful and functional city
car. After the 2011 model year, Nissan addressed the interior
heating issues--offering heated seats and wheel--and at today's
lower prices, a new 2013 Nissan Leaf makes a most practical
second or commuter car.

But the 2013 Tesla Model S, with the 85-kWh battery pack, can
pretty much be your only car--and the experience behind the wheel
takes driving to a much higher level. And that's something to
celebrate indeed.